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Antenna TV Reception
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Supporting Member of Barthmobile.com 1/12
Picture of Don in Niagara
posted
Channel search with our new HD digital Toshiba brought in about 15 channels a while back.
Now we get nothing.
The Barth is still in it's same site at Pioneer RV in Anthem Az.
If I bypass the tv cable and run directly from the tv to the antenna (out thru a window) everything is perfect, so it doesn't appear to be the antenna. If I bypass the booster/cable/ant switch, (that has the 12v cig lighter receptacle and little red light that comes on when the switch is in the ANT position) I get 2 digital HD channels perfectly. To do that all I did was use one of those little antenna cable union connectors to give me a straight run from the antenna to the tv.
Weird; where did all the other channels go?? You would think that if the cable in the roof was defective I wouldn't be getting anything??
I tried a new booster switch. Couldn't find one exactly like the old original with a Cable/ANT switch. This one just has a little button that lights up when it is pushed. With it installed I'm back to square one ... NO RECEPTION at all!!
Any ideas an where to go next greatly appreciated!
Don and Patty


1990 Regency 34'
Cummins 6CTA 8.3 240hp
Spartan Chassis,
4 speed Allison MT643
 
Posts: 630 | Location: Niagara Falls, Canada | Member Since: 11-09-2004Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Supporting Member of Barthmobile.com 3/23
Picture of ccctimtation
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The dirty secret that was not well disclosed prior to the mandated cut off was that digital is precisely that in all of its negative and positive forms. With analog you might get "poor" reception, fuzzy, ghosting and so forth but with digital you get zero, freezing or pixelating. A slight shift of antenna may drop some or all of the signals, there is a website that will give you the better pointing direction from your location but you really need to do the old two person, better now or not, alignment.
I have an antenna booster on only one of the home tvs and it seems to work for most channels although it too used to get 3 others no longer available. Thinking about it perhaps the digital signal is not all that content to be amplified by the unit originally intended for analog.
Maybe we should try coathangers and aluminum foil.
 
Posts: 1066 | Location: St. Charles, MO, USA | Member Since: 10-09-2003Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Supporting Member of Barthmobile.com 4/08
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You did not define what antenna you have, so I am going to assume a Wingard Batwing.

This is a powered antenna and requires 12vdc to function properly. I am surprised that you got any channels running for TV directly to antenna, but if the towers are close you may still get them.

So you may still have an antenna problem, because it worked unpowered and doesn't work powered.

My first step would be to put the transfer box in the antenna position and measure the voltage that will go to the antenna. Inside the transfer box is a capaciter that blocks the dc voltage from going on the TV. It is sorta like a T, one leg 12vdc, one leg the antenna and the other leg goes to the AB switch and on the the TV.

Time to get the multi-meter out.

If you have anything other than a powered antenna there would be no 12vdc involved.


'92 Barth Breakaway - 30'
5.9 Cummins (6B) 300+ HP
2000 Allison
Front entrance
 
Posts: 1183 | Location: Minneapolis/Yuma | Member Since: 08-17-2006Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Supporting Member of Barthmobile.com 3/11
Picture of Tom  and Julie
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The little red light booster is an analog device. You have to get a digital booster from Camping World or Radio Shack.


1993 32' Regency Wide Body, 4 speed Allison Trans, Front Entry door, Diamond Plate aluminum roof &
1981 Euro 22' w Chevy 350 engine and TH 400 tranny
 
Posts: 1513 | Location: Houston Texas | Member Since: 12-19-2006Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Supporting Member of Barthmobile.com 4/08
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Woa? It is a RF booster. It amplifies the signal, not the modulation. There is no such thing as an analog signal. All TV, radio, cell phone etc. operate using RF signals. There is no other way to transmit thru the air or deep space for that matter.


'92 Barth Breakaway - 30'
5.9 Cummins (6B) 300+ HP
2000 Allison
Front entrance
 
Posts: 1183 | Location: Minneapolis/Yuma | Member Since: 08-17-2006Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Supporting Member of Barthmobile.com 8/11
Picture of billyt53
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When the red light is on it energizes the antenna amplifier section which lives in the antenna head. When it is off, it allows "Cable" TV to pass through. You can get ATSC Converter boxes everywhere now, Best Buy, Wal Mart, etc. The Winegard, sold by Camping World and others in the RV biz, is a twelve volt model and is quite pricey.
Billy T


Billy & Helen Thibodeaux

Retired from Billy Thibodeaux's Premiere RV, Inc. Scott, LA 70583 I-10 Exit 97
The Farm is near Duson, LA I-10 Exit 92 then N 1 mile on right
Three Full 50 Amp RV Hookups !
billynhelen@me.com
Data Tag: 9404-3908-36XI-2C
1994 Sovereign 36' Widebody on Spartan IC (Mountain Master Lite) Chassis.
Powered by Cummins ISL9-450
Onan 8,000 Quiet Diesel Genset
Toad: 2018 Chevy Colorado ZR2 Diesel with M&G Car Brake
 
Posts: 373 | Location: 1mile north of I-10 Exit 92, Duson, LA USA in The Heart of CAJUN COUNRTY ! ! ! | Member Since: 05-14-2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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